Method of making electric-switch jaws and the like.



- K. C. RANDALL.

METHOD OF MAKING ELECTRIC S H JAWS'AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED .12. 1915.

1,248,544. Patented Dec. 4,1917".

ATTORNEY UNITED. STATES, PATENT onnion.

C. RANDALL, F EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC LAND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF'PE'NNSYL- VANIA.

METHOD OF MAKING ELECTRIC-SWITCH JAWS LIKE.

"Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.4, 1917.

Application filed April 12, 1915. Seria1No.'20','70 5.

and the like, of whichthe following is a specification. My invention relates to methods of uniting 'metal pieces by welding or soldering,

. tioii i-Ofjaws for gripping the switch bladesand it has special reference 'to the construcof knife; switches.

. The single figure of the accompanying drawing illustrates a form of apparatus suitable forpractising my invention.

In the usual construction of electric knife swatches-the jaws which grlp each switch blade are fastened, at a suitable distanceapart to receive the knife blade between them, upon a block a, rried by the head of a switch stud, and the jaws are usually tas tened in the jaw block by making a slot in the block for each of the jaws, drivingin the jaws and soldering them in place. The

stud and the jaw block are usually forged I as a single unit and afterward machined,

and these operations, as well as. the cutting of the two slots, are relatively expensive.

I have devised a simpler and chea er method of fastening switch jaws in the aw blocks according to which I make use of a jaw block provided with a single large slot which corresponds, in size, tothe slot that would be produced it the stock between the present slots were removed. The jaws are set in place in this slot and a'opper block is driven between them to fill up the space between the ends of the jaws, and the assembled unit may then be soldered accordmg to the usual methods. I find that silver solder is very suitable for uniting the assembled parts. This solder which, as obtained commercially, consists of approximately equal parts of metallic silyer and yellow brass and which melts at about 650 C., is particularly resistant to shocks and temperature changes, and it is suiiiciently cheap, in the small quantity required, to warrant its use.

-.According to a further development of my invention, I subject the assembled aws and jaw block to the act1on of an electrlc 2 complete the circuit.

current'which maysupplyf sufficient heat to weld the parts togetherj'w'ithout the use of solder or, if solder is used, the electric heat applied maybe only sufficient to melt the solder. I may conveniently accomplish this electric heating operation by providing a slotted table of insulating material to serve as a support for the jaw block, together with v .a pair of. contact members adapted to press upon the j aw block on both sides of the jaws.

' Electric current supplied to the contact'memhers is thereby caused to flow through the assembled members that. are to be joined together.

One arrangement-tor practising the fore going processv is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which 1 represents a switch stud carrying a jaw block-2 at its upper end, the jaw block 2 being provided l with a slot 3. These parts may be conveniently die-cast from copper in a'single operation. Jaws 4 and 5 are disposed in the slot 3 and are separated by a copper block 6 driven between the jaws, the resulting ELF- r;

rangement beingequivalent to that produced by making a separate slot for each jaw.

Electric contact members -7 and 8, supplied with energy through conductors 9 and 10, are adapted to press upon the jaw block 2 on both sides of the jaws 4 and;5, the jaw blockbeing supported upon a table-11 provided with a slot 12 for receiving the switch stud 1. The contact members 7 and 8 may conveniently beoperated by meansof a lever (not shown) to move upward sufliciently to clear the jaw block as it is inserted under the'contact members and then to be lowered into engagement with the jaw block to VVhileI have described my invention as applied to the construction of knife switch jaws, it is obvious that the principles of metal'lparts of other kinds, audit is therefore to be understood that no limitations are to be imposed upon "my invention'except such as are indicated in the appended claims. v 1

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of uniting metal pieces that comprises forming a slot in oneof the pieces, disposing a plurality of other pieces in spaced relation in the said slot, inserting invention may also be applied to unitingv inserting a separate spacings: hlor unite them together..

a spacing block between pieces, and applyiiigg'hezrt to in said parts together.

2. The method of uniting that comprises die-casting H l vided With a slot, disposing plurality of pieces in spaced relation in the setting a. spacing block hetw -1d slot, iiithe said pieces and applying heat to unite all of the said parts together.

3. The method of uniting metal pieces that comprises forming a slot in one of the pieces, d sposinge plurality of other slot,

pieces in spaced relation in the said I f a- 5. The method of termin for knife swltcnes that com;

ing' an integral s Yided with :1 I j :i pair of lboii in s; n, placing a pair oif iziiv members in position in the said slot, inserting); a metal spacing block between the ends of the said aws that are received in the said slot, and applying heat to unite all of the said parts together.

A jaw member for electric knife switches comprising a die-cast integral stud and switch block, a pair of jaw members disposed in a single slot in the said switch block, and :i metal spacing block-inserted between the said jaws, the said switch block, jaws and spacing block being intimately secured together.

i". A jaw men'iher for electric knife switches comprising; at die-cast integral stud and switch block, a. pair of jaw members disposed in c siingie slot in the said switch eds 'bloclt, end'zi met-cl spacing); block inserted e between the said jziu s, the said snitch block,

Jews and. spacing block being intii ietely sol cred together in testin'ioi'i y' whereof, l have hereunto ihed name 31st day of lvllerch, 

